The way the Dallas Mavericks got started, it seemed like Dirk Nowitzki might get a welcome rest late in the opener of a two-game stretch in less than 24 hours.
Except rookie Darren Collison and the New Orleans Hornets turned a lopsided game into a nailbiter before Nowitzki helped bail out the Mavericks.
Nowitzki scored 14 of his 36 points while playing all of the fourth quarter, including a 9-foot turnaround jumper after a turnover by Collison in the final minute, and the Mavericks pulled out a 108-100 victory Sunday night to extend their NBA-high winning streak to seven games.
"We made this a lot harder than we should have," said Nowitzki, who had his third consecutive 30-point game. "I actually missed two shots toward the end that I felt should have gone in, but I was able to make that last shot, so I'm happy about that."
The Hornets had cut what had been a 25-point deficit to 101-97 after Collison's 3-pointer with 2:44 left capped the rookie's stretch of eight consecutive points. But New Orleans didn't get any closer and Collison, who had a season-high 35 points, had consecutive turnovers in the final minute that Dallas turned into baskets.
Nowitzki's jumper was the first score for either team since Collison's 3-pointer. Caron Butler then stole the ball from Collison near midcourt and drove to the basket, missing the layup that Brendan Haywood slammed home.
"It was out of aggression, trying to make something happen," Collison said. "I'll take full responsibility for those two turnovers."
Butler had 19 points in his return to the Mavericks lineup. He played in his sixth game for Dallas since being traded from Washington, but had missed the last two after having a bad reaction to some medication.
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